Sourcing tungsten trioxide powder from China
Tungsten trioxide powder from China has a 4% standard UK duty, suspended to 0% for qualifying goods. The suspension excludes mixtures and preparations. For Great Britain, settle UK REACH responsibilities and chemical classification and labelling before supply. Cambridge China Bridge sources tungsten trioxide powder.
Tungsten trioxide duty and suspension
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2825 covers inorganic bases and metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides. Tungsten trioxide, including blue tungsten oxide, is listed under 2825 90 40 30. The table shows purchasing variants within this shared tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes.
For goods from China, this line has 4% standard duty and a 0% autonomous tariff suspension. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the substance. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. It attaches waste import and export controls. For material sold as waste or recovered residue, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirements before shipment.
Confirm the chemical identity and composition against the commodity code, rather than using a supplier's description alone. Other tungsten oxides and hydroxides have a separate line without this suspension. See the wider inorganic bases and metal oxides guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tungsten trioxide powder | 2825 90 40 30 | 4% | None |
Specify oxide identity, impurities and particle size
Specify tungsten trioxide by chemical identity, including CAS 1314-35-8 where applicable. If ordering blue tungsten oxide, identify the intended material explicitly rather than accepting it as an interchangeable colour variant. Agree assay, iron and other relevant impurity limits, moisture, particle size distribution, test methods and a certificate of analysis for each batch.
Agree sealed liners, outer containers, batch identification and sampling arrangements. Test a representative sample in your own process before approving bulk supply. Record acceptable dispersion and agglomeration behaviour, especially where a fine powder is needed.
For Great Britain, confirm UK REACH registration responsibilities and your registration route or only representative coverage with HSE. Classification and labelling follow the applicable chemical rules; confirm with HSE when a safety data sheet must be supplied. Check the actual grade's classification rather than assuming all tungsten powders have the same hazards.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 25 kg of tungsten trioxide powder, illustrative order only under 2825 90 40 30, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £300 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,300. Duty at 4% is £92. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,392, so it is £478.40. Import taxes total £570.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £92 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the purchase specification, batch certificate, safety data sheet and container labels; investigate any substitution between tungsten trioxide and blue tungsten oxide.
Analysis: independently check assay, agreed impurities and moisture using the agreed methods; link the sample and results to the shipped batch.
Particle size: compare the measured distribution and agglomeration with the approved sample; appearance alone cannot establish the specified fineness.
Packing: inspect liner seals, leakage, contamination, container condition, net weight and batch markings on arrival. Use the quality inspection guide to agree how defects are recorded.
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What goes wrong
A certificate may describe the supplier's usual grade rather than the shipped batch. Powder can meet the agreed assay yet fail your process because particle size, agglomeration or an important impurity was omitted from the specification. Hold discrepant batches pending analysis instead of blending them into accepted stock.
A suspension can be wrongly assumed for a formulated product containing tungsten trioxide. Waste status can also change the clearance route. For notified waste imports into England from China, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent. Confirm the shipment's status and requirements with your broker before dispatch.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on tungsten trioxide powder from China?
Code 2825 90 40 30 has 4% standard duty, suspended to 0% for qualifying goods. Mixtures and preparations are excluded. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty.
Does tungsten trioxide powder need UK REACH registration?
For Great Britain, confirm with HSE which UK REACH registration arrangements apply to your annual imports of the substance. Confirm your own route or only representative coverage before ordering.
Is blue tungsten oxide covered by the same commodity code?
The supplied tariff line explicitly includes blue tungsten oxide under 2825 90 40 30. Specify its identity separately and confirm that the supplied material matches the tariff description.
What should I test before accepting a tungsten trioxide batch?
Check identity, assay, agreed impurities, moisture, particle size and agglomeration. Match independent results to the shipped batch and inspect liner seals and contamination on arrival.